Cries of Peace. Cries of Hope. Cries of Doom.

So this was Felidae City. The details Eyir had heard about the place did not do it justice. It was beautiful and grand. Even without a significant event happening there the angelic spirit was sure the city would still be bustling with life and excitement. Granted, the last time she was in Joya the city was likely far from the glorious Joya centerpiece it was known for during the current era. It had been centuries. Back when Eyir had been somewhat curious with the nations that bordered Iceberg. She didn't get too far in her explorations back then. The spirit had wanted to stay safe and was much more cautious with staying close to what she considered home. The most she saw back then were the wilds of the jungle before returning back home. While the exotic land was lovely back then it wasn’t all too interesting for a curious spirit that had wanted to see much more.

Now there she was, further into the country and seeing for herself what parts of the land had become over the years. If she was capable of feeling regret she might have been feeling it right then. All of those years and never once had she seen Felidae City until then. It was like missing seeing a lost wonder of the world. Eyir did not possess that sort of emotion though so the most she could do was acknowledge everything logically for what it was. Past opportunities to see the city grow had been missed, but she was there now. On a very important day for Earthland, or so she had been led to believe. Everyone was talking about it, whether in disdain, agreement, or from a completely neutral stance. Eyir was in the latter category.

For a while now there was talk about what would happen between the countries of Bellum and Pergrande. Both of them she had visited before long ago. As a ghost-like being, she did have her ways of appearing and leaving before being noticed. But then, it seemed like both countries had more important matters to be concerned about than some unregistered visitor that kept to themselves and away from the general populace or significant places of secrecy. It had been so long though. Now both were on the verge of war. Not that either country was known to be truly peaceful, especially that of Pergrande. Even centuries ago their hatred for the magic communities around them was well known. Although, in Eyir's beginning as she currently was it was quite new. The calamity that had caused so much damage and even changed their perspective on magic was still a fresh wound back then. One that never quite healed if current events were taken into consideration.

Several months ago there had been a clash between the two countries. Not a full-scale war that lasted years upon years exactly, but most definitely a large enough battle that even involved other countries fighting on both sides. The event in Felidae City was the result of that battle. Pergrande had lost that one battle greatly and rather than start yet another battle at that point in time the solution of a treaty was next on the list for whatever reason.

Eyir had not been a part of the border clashes to fully understand why either nation would suddenly be satisfied with a treaty. She was not a fighter and had no loyalty or affiliations with either side to suddenly change that part of herself. Whoever won mattered little to her. Her existence would not be in jeopardy even if one day Pergrande took over all of Ishgar. That was one benefit to being a wandering soul. She'd still exist even if all other things were dead. She'd still have a place in the world no matter who ruled over a single continent.

It was a bit different for her now. The angelic spirit had joined a guild. Luminous Rose. Being a part of something now gave her a reason to pay more attention to current events, the results, and their consequences. That was her reason for being in the anthropomorphic-filled country outside of simple curiosity. The border clash had resulted in treaty negotiations where even the countries of Fiore and Iceberg were involved. That led to the current event of the day. The Ishgar Symposium. It was to be a very important event for the history of Ishgar. One that was to be about peace. History would still mark that day as quite significant indeed, but for something very different. It would be known as an overall tragedy and disaster. Joya would never be the same again. But Eyir had no part in that destruction, no desire to witness it as it occurred, or the power to stop it. Her part of the day would be successful, though a very small victory when compared to everything that would transpire that fateful day.

Eyir stayed away from the general population of the city. There were too many people there for her liking, and she preferred to watch everything take place as if it were a show being put on. The angelic spirit stayed in the higher parts of the city. Cliffs, rooftops, the surrounding trees, and waterfalls. Whatever she could find that was out of the way and allowed her to spectate the events as they played out. Every so often she would change locations but it was nearly all the same no matter where in the city she was. Riots, protests, debates, arguments. There were some that exhibited decent behavior, of course. Still, for something that was supposed to involve peace it was baffling to the spirit that people would be acting in such a way. She expected people to be more calm and content with the promise of a more peaceful continent. Did they really enjoy the battles between countries? Or did they just not want to put any trust that the treaty would actually be effective enough to keep Bellum and Pergrande in line long enough to not attempt to destroy each other? Eyir didn't know. She was content to not know or be concerned. Even more so she was content that everyone below her was distracted enough to not notice her presence.

The armored soul continued silently watching as the hours passed on by. At times there were a few matters of mild disruptions but the security that was stationed in the city was quick to act and put a stop to it. Some were part of the Rune Knights. Their uniforms had made that much clear. Others were mages from all over Ishgar that had been recruited to help keep the peace during the grand event. Eyir supposed she could label herself as one of them, although not officially. She didn't exactly sign up for the task. Applications and sign-ups were something that was quite alien to her. Surely it didn't matter anyway. Thus far she had not done anything but aim her darkened face at the crowds and watch. That state of idleness soon came to an end. An unwanted presence that always invited itself alerted the spirit.

There was something in the air. In the water. In the trees. Even the people within the city, though they did not know it. Very few would have been able to sense it. To see it. Even hear it. Eyir was one of those few. Yet a part of her wished that she was not. Death was near. Its presence was strangely very strong. Too strong. Almost as if death's will had called the strongest of reapers to devour the city whole.

Eyir's gaze, though hidden within the created darkness of her hood, changed its focus from the city below and looked upward. She could see it clearly. The dark cloud of death that was hidden to most beings still of the living. To them nothing was strange. Abnormal. Nothing told them something more powerful than the protests and riots endangered their lives. To Eyir the signs were clear. Not only in sight but in feeling. As the cloud covered the city and its unknowing citizens, certain areas and people, to Eyir's sight, darkened and faded in color. Only a small section of the city still had color. Only a small number of people still had the bright glow of life around them. They would be the few to survive that day. Everyone else would be doomed.

The cloud passed through Eyir as if she were nothing. Her color and aura did not change. As a being that was already between the realms of life and death there was little that could be done to her besides the total destruction of her soul. If such a capable force was the cause for the incoming despair and tragedy she would be spared the fate of everyone else that was marked. Not that she felt relief by that understanding and knowledge. It was painful. Both literally in the physical sense and mentally. The promise of death to the city tugged threateningly on her soul. As it always did when the reapers were near. It would be much worse once the catastrophe occurred. That too was always the same.

The mental pain came from the fact that she could do nothing to change the dreadful outcome that she knew was coming. All those marked were cursed with no choice but to follow the design fate had for them. Eyir was not strong enough to stop death, its reapers, or whatever force would summon them to collect all those in Felidae city. Although old she was weak. Stronger than she once was, yes, but nowhere near what it would take. Such devastation could only come from something or someone akin to a god, and she herself was not one. She did not even have the power to restore to life those that would soon be taken. Perhaps one or two. That was all. It was a pathetic comparison but it was what it was. Eyir was content with it just as always. For now. One day perhaps she could do more to stop such a calamity from transpiring. Currently, there was a different task that she had to do. A change of fate that was within her power to accomplish.

There was a part of Felidae city that, to her, was a mix of the dead colorization that she saw everything else that death touched and the normal color bright and lively colors of the living. It was a very small portion of the city. Much less than half and it was that same portion that many would later recognize as what was left standing after the day had come to an end. Yet death's touch intertwining with that of life told Eyir that there was a danger to that section of the city if left ignored. Perhaps she could be successful and save it. Determined to do something, Eyir left her spot that overlooked the main sectors of the city. Leaving it and those within it to their inevitable fate and end. Her ethereal wings carried her to the part that she could help save. The one section that had any amount of hope to exist at day's end.

One might wonder how was she supposed to find the incoming threat and put a stop to it. So did she. There was no actual answer or obvious clue made known to her. The only thing she could see was that death was there and threatened to strike if nothing was done. The rest she would have to figure out on her own just like most everyone else. She landed on the rooftop of a dwelling. It was empty, as were most of the homes. The symposium was an event that made everyone get outside for one reason or another. The streets were filled with chatter, blending together in one giant mess of noise. Eyir was not going to find out information from that. Perhaps a smaller concentration of voices would help.

Once again the angelic spirit moved, that time making herself comfortable on a roof that was just above a small group of security patrollers. Or so she learned by listening in on the conversation for the first couple of minutes. Listening further she learned of the most recent information that had been given to the group. A group of rebels was in the city and there were plans for trouble. It was unlike the sort of trouble that was already present in the city. Their intent was much bigger. A magical bomb was suspected to exist. The patrols in the area were currently trying to find it before it went off. Secretly, of course. They couldn't cause a panic by making everyone aware. Eyir understood. That was enough of a start. She would find a way to aid in the search, believing the bomb to be the cause of the incoming danger. If it wasn't, well, that would become apparent soon enough.

Funny enough the moment Eyir had finished listening in on the conversation the sound of explosions spread throughout that city sector. Not huge enough to cause major damage. Therefore it was not the bomb the security patrols were worried about. Regardless the miniature bomb explosions did cause quite the scene. If attention was what the bombers wanted that is exactly what they got.

The small group Eyir had been eavesdropping on hurriedly left, running towards the explosions and through the crowd of screaming, terrified, and confused citizens. Eyir could hear the myriad of voices coming through the communication devices they wore. A small bit anyway since they were quickly out of range but enough to know the descriptions. The attackers were Joyan and most definitely a part of the Chorda rebels. They would know where the main bomb was located.

The clue came more easily than expected. Considering she was not a hunter of any sort the spirit was grateful for the error the bombers had made. Though they obviously did not see it as a mistake for their plans they would change their opinions on that soon enough. Eyir followed in the direction the security group had gone and let the sounds of the explosions lead her the rest of the way.

Upon reaching the location Eyir noticed the damage done right away. Buildings and even people were covered in strange webbing. A strange poison was in the air in certain areas, infecting those that were hit by the initial blasts. Other security groups had joined in, although little progress had been made. More bombs were thrown at them to slow their advance and progress with eliminating the threats. Of which there were two that took on the bomb-throwing responsibility. They were odd looking even by Joyan standards. Usually, the anthropomorphic natives took on features of a particular animal but whatever animal those two had features of Eyir could not tell. With their long antlers and strange tails, they were more of a combination than one sole animal. Fortunately, their natural-born traits were limited to those two things from what Eyir could tell. No claws. Deliberately choosing to stay a long distance from their enemies. A lack of mobility or had zero interest in putting it to use. That just made things simple. Eyir could handle that. Yet at that moment, when confidence with bringing the chaos to a swift and easy end should have soared higher, it was forced to remain at a level of uncertainty.

Other Joyans showed up shortly after. A small group that was allied with the bomb-throwers. Three of them reminded Eyir of creatures she had only heard about before in tales of fantasy. Fauns. But their appearance was betrayed by their actions. Fauns were creatures of peace and the three Joyan women currently there were anything but. They were hostile. Using their magic to create earthquakes that split the ground and thorned leafy vines to ensnare those within their sights. Immediately Eyir felt something disrupt her constant state of contentment. Not anger or anything within that realm of emotion. This one was much more common even if still rare. Dislike. Eyir did not like those goat-like women. Even less so than the bombers.

One other to the group was one that looked very strong. Skilled and experienced. The way he moved and carried himself was someone that was not new to battle. An axe, daggers, and crossbow were his weapons of choice and, in that short timeframe, he showed that he could masterfully use and change between them all swiftly and accurately. His reflexes were sharp to match his quick-moving mind. He was someone to avoid crossing paths with as an enemy. The security officials and volunteers found that out the hard way. One by one those that tried to incapacitate him by combat were injured. Some fatally. They were no match. It was clear anyone that was capable of defeating him was not present, more likely being assigned to the other areas of the city.

The last of the group was another Joyan woman. Her animal features were that of a feline. Although, this changed with the use of her magic. Her limbs were transformed into those that belonged to different species. With such magic, the most deadly features of the entire animal kingdom were at her disposal, along with their mobility and strength. The woman was a force to be reckoned with even more so than the armored lion. Combined they were an absolute terror for lesser-ranked mages. Thankfully there were very few things that Eyir could say brought the emotion of fear to her soul. Very few beings in the world existed to make it happen. No one in that group of rebels had that power over her.

The battle paused as it seemed the rebel group was victorious. There was a bit of dialogue going back and forth between them and the few security volunteers that remained standing. The feline woman had declared that she was the leader of the Chorda rebels and soon Joya itself. Her motivation was to change Joya and how the world viewed her people. To make them respected and strong instead of falling into the laughable stereotype of foolish cat maids and other disgustingly embarrassing labels. There they were, sharing their grandest city with outsiders during the symposium and welcoming them as they always did only to be treated as second-class citizens even in their own country. It was repugnant.

A small device was in her hand. The control for the bomb that had already been planted. All that needed to be done was to press the button to activate it. After she was done with her speech, of course. Eyir was done spectating by that point. It was time for her to intervene before it was too late.

The angelic spirit's form shifted, becoming a bright glimmering light that moved through the air as fast as a fired projectile. Her new form stopped directly in front of the rebel leader. That light then dispersed to reveal her armored form again, the glimmering light having been an ability that allowed her to move that fast but otherwise did little else. It had served its purpose in surprising those around her and even gaining the advantage to take the bomb device from the rebel leader's hand. Again she turned into divine light to stand in front of the security forces.

Two relics materialized in the air and stabbed the ground, their pointed tips easily piercing through to allow the relics to stand upright. At Eyir's left side was a relic of gold and ruby. Her right side was accompanied by a relic of gold and emerald. Both were as large as life-size statues and had detailed wings with sharp knife-like edges. The wings of one faced upward and the other faced downward. Both color and wing design indicated that they were two different spells regardless of similarities. A protective barrier surrounded the security force, the energy that created it coming from the relic on the right. The left side relic released restorative magic that healed the wounds of the injured no matter how fatal and increased their fighting potential with enhanced power and strength.

Eyir lifted her right hand, creating and firing rays of light that went straight for the rebels. Each one was hit but her offensive magic was not strong enough to do any real damage to them. She would let the security patrol do that work for her. And that was how it went from there. The security patrol continued fighting with Eyir healing and protecting them. Every now and then she would have the chance to attack as well with her holy light. Each rebel began to fall in defeat and exhaustion. All except for the leader, who had the energy and determination to keep going. She had to be brought down in a different way. Eyir focused on the holy essence of her soul and solidified it, bringing to creation an orb of white light. It was sent towards the Chorda rebel leader, hitting her but causing no damage. Instead, its magic covered her in a cocoon of light, trapping and pacifying her.

Finding the bomb afterward was not difficult. A member of the security patrol was able to track it by using his magic and the device that was linked to it. The bomb itself was magic in origin and left an easily detectable trace that was unique. Eyir decided to take care of that task herself. It was the safest way really. The bomb could not destroy her if for some reason it still went out without the controller device activating it. It was also best if everyone present remained there. Safe and away from the danger of death that Eyir could sense coming. She advised them to remain and keep focus on that city sector in case there were more rebels. In much shorter wording. Eyir had little interest or time to explain why even if she could. She turned into that glimmering light again, heading towards where the bomb supposedly was located.

Eyir found the bomb. The mage that had helped track it had been accurate. hidden away in the back of an inn it was. Pulsing with lethal and destructive power that was just waiting for the permission it needed to be released. The spirit stared at the device, tilting her head in thought. After a few silent minutes, she created yet another orb of light. Instead of immobilization, that orb was used to nullify the bomb's power. She could sense it weakening quickly until it no longer existed. But was it truly inactive? Such devices were new to her. Their inner workings and weaknesses were a difficult mystery to solve without tampering with it first.

Just in case, Eyir took hold of the bomb and removed it from the building. Removing it from the city. Removing it from the country. Taken to a place deserted and far from civilization. More importantly, she had removed herself from there as well. Far away from the cries of life that would soon be silenced by tragedy. She didn’t want to witness it. Didn’t want to hear everything that would tear the city apart and take many lives. Nor did she want to feel those souls being extinguished by whatever it was that would doom the city. Yet, hours later, and even that far away, Eyir could still feel them. Not as strongly as she would have if she were right there, but the feeling was noticeable. Her invisible gaze looked on in the direction Joya was, where she could sense all the death take place. She had to wonder what else would come from it. Such a disaster was the beginning of a long chain. Not its end. As a being that wanted to heal the world and keep others safe, Eyir was not looking forward to the world's future. She needed to become stronger before the events of that day repeated.

(Word Count: 4018)